1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a gripping device for gripping a urinary catheter within a closed pouch. Particularly, the invention relates to a device that allows the user of a urinary catheter contained within a sterile urinary catheter pouch to manually grip the urinary catheter as it is advanced out of the pouch for use, with minimal need for user dexterity or personal grip strength.
2. Background of the Invention
A wide variety of catheters are available for insertion into the body for introduction or withdrawal of fluids. Urinary catheters are flexible tubes designed to drain urine from the bladder by insertion into the urethra. They are packaged in sterile containers and can be lubricated for insertion prior to packaging or prior to use. Intermittent urinary catheters are designed to be inserted for each use and are commonly used by patients who are able to catheterize themselves. One type of intermittent catheter comprises a urine catheter pouch, which also serves as the sterile package for the catheter. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,483 to Powers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,530 to Golden, U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,305 to Hursman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,341 to Starke et al and U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,905 to Daignault et al. Another type of catheter is an intermittent catheter contained in a conduit pouch, whereby the pouch can be opened and used to transfer urine to the toilet or a urine collection container.
Catheterization is accomplished by introducing the proximal tip of a catheter into the urethra, and then “longitudinally collapsing and extending the pouch in an accordion-like manner until the tip reaches the bladder” as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,224 to Kavanagh and U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,363 to Bonner. The portion of the catheter remaining within the pouch is gripped between the walls of the pouch advanced out of the pouch and into the urethra. During the pouch-extending phase, the catheter is held to resist a movement of the catheter back into the pouch by gripping the catheter between the pouch walls. The operation requires two hands to accomplish, as well as dexterity to make sure that the catheter does not retract back into the pouch. It is a difficult, if not impossible, activity for a quadriplegic, high paraplegic or person with low grip strength to accomplish. Few, if any, products serve the self catheterization market for these users.
Further, complications can make the process next to impossible, even for those with great dexterity or strength. For example, the fluid pressure from the bladder or the weight from the urine may tend to pull the lubricated catheter from the urethra and back into the urinary catheter pouch. To prevent this from occurring, the user must continuously grip the catheter until voiding is completed. Catheters are normally heavily lubricated and have to be gripped between the walls of the plastic pouch. This can create a “slippery noodle” effect, which means that the grip strength and dexterity required to immobilize the catheter from retracting into the pouch may be so great that self-catheterization becomes impossible, even for someone with normal grip strength.
What is needed is a device to assist in the gripping of a urinary catheter, while it is in a urinary catheter pouch, for use by persons with limited strength and dexterity.